Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 619 - 0576: Don’t Mess with Our Young Master (2)
"I ran into someone I know, I’m going to check it out." Li Yuzhu looked towards Yang Runsen and said.
"Someone you know? Where?" Li Xingmao helped her get off the mule cart.
"The person being beaten is a relative of a tenant of my eldest brother-in-law. I went to treat him last month." Li Yuzhu glanced back at the two children in the cart, "Brother, you watch over Guoguo and Jingjing, I’ll go see what’s going on."
Li Xingmao said, "Third Sister, be careful, there are a lot of people there!"
"I’m going too!" Li Lixing also climbed off the mule cart.
The two of them crossed the road together.
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The fight was happening in front of a lavishly built tavern.
But what looked like a tavern to others, Li Yuzhu figured, was clearly a brothel.
Because the name of the tavern was just too eye-catching — Qian Hong Lou Tavern.
Qian Hong Lou...
Where had she heard that name before?
Li Yuzhu couldn’t remember and decided not to think about it. She looked towards the tavern again.
At the entrance of the tavern, there were two flamboyantly dressed young women standing.
Dressed scantily, with makeup on, they didn’t seem like proper women.
"Stop it, or I’ll report this!" Li Yuzhu walked over and shouted loudly.
"Three against one, even if you win, it doesn’t make you heroes." Li Lixing followed up, yelling.
The three men dressed as shop workers looked towards Li Yuzhu and Li Lixing, rolling up their sleeves with arrogance, "Who are you? Why are you meddling?"
"Who I am doesn’t matter. I just want to know, why are three of you beating up one person? What did he do to provoke you?" Li Yuzhu helped Yang Runsen up, asking the three workers coldly.
"Right, it won’t be honorable even if you win!" Li Lixing shouted loudly.
One of the larger workers pointed his thumb at the Qian Hong Lou Tavern behind him, arrogantly sneering, "I advise you to mind your own business; you can’t afford to provoke Qian Hong Lou."
Li Lixing was enraged, crossing his arms and sneering coldly, "What if I do provoke it?"
"Oh, really? Hahaha! I’ll skin you alive and send you to our guests’ beds to have some fun!" Another man laughed loudly.
The tall man reached out to push Li Lixing.
Li Lixing was young, but he understood shame. Being insulted about having his clothes taken off for enjoyment, he immediately knew it was bad.
"You... you wait and see!" Li Lixing’s face flushed with shame and anger, gritting his teeth and cursing.
"Wait, just wait, come on, do you think I’m afraid of you? Hahaha!" The workers laughed together.
Li Lixing was so furious he gritted his teeth, his face turning red with anger.
Yang Runsen looked back and realized it was Li Yuzhu.
He asked in surprise, "Li San Niang? How are you in the county town?"
Li Yuzhu said, "I’m here to see my third brother. What’s going on, Yang Runsen? Why are you fighting?"
Yang Runsen looked at Qian Hong Lou, his face full of anger, "They captured San Niang!"
"Hey, kid, who captured someone? She came on her own, owing our shopkeeper’s wife money she couldn’t pay back, and she volunteered to work off her debt. Don’t talk nonsense, we have connections in the government office!" The large worker arrogantly shouted.
Li Lixing coldly sneered, "Bah, I don’t recognize you!"
The large worker said, "Who are you? Do I need to recognize you?"
Li Yuzhu asked Yang Runsen, "What’s going on exactly? How did Wei San Niang end up owing money here?"
Yang Runsen was full of resentment, "San Niang said she came out to find work and was tricked into here. I saw it wasn’t a good place and wanted to take her out, but the shopkeeper’s wife said she broke a valuable item inside and now has to pay a thousand taels. We don’t have that much money, and they won’t let her go."
"What item is worth a thousand taels?" Li Yuzhu asked coldly.
"Ancient Jade, why? Isn’t it worth a thousand taels of silver?" The large worker sneered.
"Where is it? Let me see." Li Yuzhu asked the large worker.
"I say, where do you come from, meddling in other people’s business, be careful you don’t get punched." The large worker raised his fist to hit someone.
But his arm was held by someone, "Try hitting her if you dare!"
Li Xingmao sneered.
"Yo, another troublemaker! Everyone, get them!" The large worker waved backhand to summon more people to encircle Li Xingmao and Li Yuzhu.
Seeing the situation was not right, Li Lixing turned and ran, "Brother, Li Yuzhu, I’m going to get my dad!"
"No use getting your grandpa! Hahaha!" The large worker laughed heartily.
However, Li Lixing hadn’t run far when he encountered a patrol of city guards.
The leading city guard recognized Li Lixing and asked in surprise, "Young master, what are you doing playing on the street alone?"
Li Lixing recognized him too, this newly-promoted squad leader, "Is that you, Niu Si? It’s great to meet you here, hurry to the front and help out, someone’s trying to beat Li San Niang and Li Dalang, they are guests of my father!"
Li Yuzhu and her siblings are esteemed guests at the County Magistrate Mansion, almost everyone working at the county government office knows this.
As soon as they heard the Li Family’s siblings were in trouble, several people rushed over together.
"Who’s fighting?" Niu Si shouted as he rushed forward with seven or eight people.
The workers looked arrogant, "Who are you?"
"People from the government office? What, can’t you see? You don’t recognize this uniform?" Niu Si said angrily.
"Recognize it, sure, but you’re just government officials, what, didn’t County Magistrate Liu tell you that Qian Hong Lou is under his protection?" The big worker still looked arrogant.
Niu Si chuckled coldly, "Recognize it, sure, but you’d better recognize this gentleman here first."
He brought Li Lixing forward.
"Where’s this little brat from? Why should I recognize him?" The big worker sneered arrogantly.
"The son of the County Magistrate, you don’t have to recognize him, but remember not to mess with our gentleman." Niu Si lifted his chin.
The workers heard that Li Lixing was the County Magistrate’s son, and their arrogant expressions vanished in fear.
One by one, they became respectful, "So it’s Mr. Li... Li? Apologies, we failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please forgive us, Mr. Li."
Li Lixing pointed at Li Yuzhu and Li Xingmao, "Still going to fight?"
"No, no."
"Release them!"
"Of course, of course."
The workers hurriedly stepped aside and released Li Xingmao and Li Yuzhu.
"Release him too." Li Lixing pointed at Yang Runsen.
The workers also released Yang Runsen, "Off you go."
But Yang Runsen didn’t leave, he chased after the workers and said, "You captured my wife, release her quickly!"
The workers sneered, "Seeing as you’re Mr. Li’s friend, we won’t hold you accountable, but releasing her, that’s not going to happen. You can go to the County Magistrate if you want, we aren’t afraid. Breaking things requires compensation! That’s a universal truth. No money to pay, so work to earn it!"
The workers pushed Yang Runsen aside.
Yang Runsen was furious and rushed forward to fight with the workers. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Li Yuzhu held him back, "Yang Runsen, if they won’t release her, then take it to court!"
Yang Runsen looked back at Li Yuzhu, "But..." But he didn’t even have identification documents, how could he file a complaint?
"Do you have difficulties?" Li Yuzhu asked him.
Yang Runsen looked defeated and shook his head.
"Let’s talk over here." Li Xingmao nodded towards him.
"Come with my brother." Li Yuzhu said.
Yang Runsen sighed and followed Li Xingmao to the mule cart.
Li Lixing said to Niu Si and his companions, "Thanks a lot for earlier, Brother Niu Si, you can go back to your duties."
"You’re welcome, Master." Niu Si smiled and saluted Li Lixing, leading his subordinates away to continue their patrol.
Li Yuzhu and Li Lixing also returned to the mule cart on the opposite side.
Guoguo and Li Jing had been peeking through the cart window, watching the commotion outside.
Li Jing didn’t understand what the adults were saying. After watching for a while, he turned to observe the various passersby on the street.
Only Guoguo kept staring at the Qian Hong Lou tavern ahead without blinking, lost in thought.
"Yang Runsen, is there a reason you can’t report to the authorities?" Li Yuzhu asked Yang Runsen.
Yang Runsen sighed, looking conflicted, "Is there a way not to report to them?"
Li Yuzhu shook her head, "No."
Li Xingmao added, "If you don’t report, how will you rescue your wife? Damaged goods need compensation, and without money, working to pay it off makes sense. If you think the compensation is too high, unjust, you can only settle it through a lawsuit at the government office. Fighting with people there is useless, you’re alone, and that’s their territory."
Li Yuzhu nodded, "Yang Runsen, my brother is right."
Yang Runsen furrowed his brow, "Li San Niang, you know how Wei San and I left the village, we’re two people without identities, how can we report?"
Li Yuzhu suddenly understood.
Indeed, reporting to the authorities would also require stating one’s identity to the government office.
But Yang Runsen and Wei San are two ’dead’ people, their identities had long been erased in the village.
Li Lixing didn’t understand, "Li Yuzhu, what do you mean by people without identities?"
Li Yuzhu glanced at Yang Runsen and said, "In short, without identity documents, you can’t move forward."
